Scores killed in Damascus blasts as NATO says ready to help Turkey

Dozens of people were killed in a double suicide car bombing against a major headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence Service, said Tuesday the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR).

Dozens of people were killed in a double suicide car bombing against a major headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence Service, said Tuesday the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR). "Dozens of people were killed in the attack against the headquarters of the intelligence services," said the leader of this organization Rami Abdel Rahman.

The Jihadist al Nosra Front claimed the attack Monday night.

According to Mr. Abdel Rahman, the targeted site is the largest detention center in the province of Damascus. al-Nosra Front claimed the attacks on Facebook, referring to the use of two car bombs, including one ambulance, which was packed with several tons of explosives and driven by two suicide bombers.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday urged Turkey and Syria to "avoid escalation" and to exercise "restraint" after a new Turkish response to the fall of a Syrian shell its territory.

"We hope that the two countries will exercise restraint and avoid an escalation of the crisis," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, while opening in Brussels a meeting attended by the defense ministers of the 28 member countries of the NATO, including Turkey.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the "moderation" in Ankara, as he stressed Turkey "has the right to defend itself under international law."

"Turkey can count on the solidarity of NATO and we have all the necessary plans to defend the country if necessary," said the Secretary General of NATO, adding that he hoped that this will "not be necessary."

He also reiterated the position of the Atlantic Alliance in favor of a "strong and united message" by the international community for the regime of Bashar al-Assad in order to find a "political solution" to the crisis .